“Today White House Spokesperson Jay Carney talked about religious tolerance and respecting all religious beliefs in regard to the anti-American violence spreading around the Muslim world.

“However, President Obama has shown a profound lack of respect and tolerance toward the Christian faith by forcing Christians to abandon their deeply held religious beliefs in dictating compliance with the HHS mandate.

“This mandate would force people of faith and conscience to violate their core beliefs by having to purchase abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization in their health care plans in direct violation of their religious values and teachings of their Church.

“Mr. President, religious tolerance and respect should apply to all faith traditions. Not just Islamic extremists.”

Mr. Mahoney additionally stated:

“In today's news conference, the White House talked about religious freedom and religious tolerance. If that is true, Christians are asking that President Obama show the same respect and tolerance to the Christian community that he is showing to Islamic extremists and terrorists.

“President Obama has shown a profound lack of respect and tolerance to the Christian community by forcing people of faith to purchase abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization through their health care plans.

“Sadly, this forces Christians to violate their deeply held core values, religious beliefs and historic teachings of the Church.

“It is difficult to believe that President Obama would crush religious freedom and liberty through this HHS mandate and yet turn around and talk about religious respect and tolerance regarding the making of this anti-Islamic film.

“One could only imagine the violence and uproar around the Islamic world if President Obama forced Muslims to violate their deeply held religious views.”

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK) has received congratulations from the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) as it celebrates its 100th anniversary this week in Seoul, Korea.

WCRC General Secretary, Setri Nyomi, is in Seoul to bring greetings to the PCK which is one of four WCRC member churches in Korea and one of the largest Presbyterian churches in the world.

The first Korean Presbyterian minister founded a church in Hwanghae province in 1884. The PCK General Assembly was established in 1912. In a sermon preached in the chapel of Seoul Jangsin University (a PCK institution), Nyomi says: “We praise God for one hundred years and more of faithful service to God by the Presbyterian Church in Korea.”

In his remarks, the Ghanaian theologian praises the church for its support of theological institutions, universities and congregations throughout its history.

Nyomi told the assembled faculty and students that to renew their commitment to God for the next 100 years they might ask how they plan to be friends of the poor and marginalised in Korea and throughout the world. “Many are imprisoned because they are not free to be where they need to be – families for example have been divided for many decades on the two sides of Korea,” Nyomi noted, adding that the church needs to “be God’s prophets exposing evil and injustice.”

In a similar message to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PROK) also meeting this week in Seoul, Nyomi says: “WCRC appreciates the prophetic role of this church on many issues and especially for peace in this land…It is our prayer that this Assembly’s deliberations will yield decisions which demonstrate the readiness of this church to take actions that foster justice and peace.”

The policy requires the churches to engage in an open, two-sided discernment process and to negotiate a settlement with the presbytery. The policy includes a pledge by both the presbytery and the churches to keep the process out of the civil courts.